The present invention relates to a nosepiece system for eyeglasses. More particularly, the present invention relates to an interchangeable nosepiece system used for optimizing fit and/or adjusting the as worn orientation of the eyeglasses in the vertical plane.
A wide variety of improvements have been made in recent years in the eyewear field. For example, the unitary cylindrical lens was popularized by the Blades® (Oakley, Inc.) eyewear which incorporated, among others, the technology of U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,048 to Jannard. Toroidal unitary lens geometry having a constant horizontal radius throughout was introduced through a variety of products in the M Frame® line of eyeglasses, also produced by Oakley, Inc. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,867,550 to Jannard. Various other improvements in eyewear systems are exemplified in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,674,851, 4,730,915, 4,824,233, 4,867,550, 5,054,903, 5,137,342, 5,208,614 and 5,249,001, all to Jannard, et al.
The foregoing designs as well as other active sports eyeglasses on the market generally utilize a unitary lens or dual lenses formed from a polymer such as polycarbonate, which is mounted in a polymeric frame. Alternatively, the prior art includes eyeglasses in which glass or polymeric lenses have been mounted in frames formed from thin metal sections such as metal wire.
One continuing objective in the field of high quality eyewear, particularly that intended for use in high speed action sports, is minimizing distortion introduced by the eyewear. Distortion may be introduced by any of a variety of influences, such as poor construction materials for the optical portion of the lens, and inferior polishing and/or molding techniques for the lens. In addition, optical distortion can result from the interaction of the lens with the frame, such as changes in the shape of the lens orbital or poor orientation of the lens with respect to the normal line of sight. Optical distortion may be reduced if the lens is oriented in an optimal positional relationship with the wearer's line of sight.
Eyeglass systems which use a polymeric or metal wire frame are susceptible to bending and flexing due to a variety of environmental causes such as impact, storage induced and other external forces, forces resulting from the assembly process of the eyewear, and exposure to sunlight and heat. Flexing of the lens or uncontrolled deviation of the orientation of one lens with respect to the other or with respect to the ear stems can undesirably change the optical characteristics of the eyeglasses, whether the lens is corrective (prescription) or noncorrective.
Eyeglass frames may be designed so that when worn, the lens orients in a predetermined relationship with the wearer's line of sight such that orientation dependant optical distortion is minimized. However, differences in facial geometry and positioning of the frames on the wearer's nose may alter the orientation of the lens relative to the line of sight from one wearer to the next when the frames are actually worn. Consequently, the lens may not correctly orient relative to a particular wearer's line of sight, resulting in inferior optical characteristics for that wearer.
Thus, there remains a need for a dimensionally stable support structure for eyeglass lenses, suitable for use with corrective and noncorrective lenses in rugged, high durability eyewear. There also remains a need for eyewear that may be customized for particular wearers so that the lens orients in an optimal position relative the line of sight. Preferably, the eyewear remains aerodynamically suited for active sports such as high speed bicycle racing, skiing and the like, and weighs no more than necessary to accomplish the foregoing objectives.